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Table of Contents
I. Introduction............................................................................................................................................... 2
A. Tables ........................................................................................................................................................ 5
B. Figures ....................................................................................................................................................... 5
Books.............................................................................................................................................................. 6
Encyclopedia Articles..................................................................................................................................... 6
Periodicals ...................................................................................................................................................... 7
Nonprint Sources ............................................................................................................................................ 8
Microsoft Word 2003:
Formatting Your Research Paper using MLA Style
I. Introduction
This reference guide provides instructions for formatting your research paper with Microsoft Word 2003.
This guide is written for users who are familiar with the basic features of Word 2003. If, however, you need
help using the basic features, you can refer to the Creating a Document with Word 2003 guide. When
you write a research paper, it is important to follow a particular formatting style throughout your paper. A
consistent style enhances readability and helps to give your paper a professional appearance. The following
information is based on the format set out in the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
published by the Modern Language Association of America. This style is commonly used in areas of
literature, arts, and the humanities.
Note: The information that follows is intended as a general guide and does not address all aspects of MLA
style formatting. For more detailed guidelines see the latest edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of
Research Papers, available at any library, or visit the Marygrove College Writing Center, room LA 005 in
the Liberal Arts Building.
Your paper should be double-spaced throughout, including the list of works cited. Margins should be one
inch in all directions (top, bottom, left, right). Indent the first word of a paragraph one-half inch (or five
spaces) from the left margin. The proper font size is 12-point font; acceptable font types are Times New
Roman (most common) and Courier. All type should be set flush with the left margin, creating an uneven
right margin (NOT justified).
B. To set margins:
When you add page numbers to your paper, Word will automatically number each new page in your
document. In MLA format, the page number appears in the upper-right-hand corner of each page, one inch
from the right edge and one-half inch from the top of the paper. Number all pages consecutively starting
with the title page. Use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3…) for page numbers. Type your last name before the page
number in case pages are ever misplaced.
Note: To view page numbers, your document must be in the Print Layout view. To change the view, go to
the View menu and click on Print Layout.
1. From the View menu, select Header and Footer. The Header and Footer toolbar should appear:
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2. From the Insert menu, select Page Numbers.
3. At the Page Numbers dialog box, click on the Alignment box and select the alignment Right.
4. Be sure the Show number on first page box is checked and then click OK.
5. Click the Align Right button on the Formatting Toolbar.
6. Type your last name.
7. Click Close on the Header and Footer toolbar.
A title page is not required in MLA format. Place your heading in the upper left corner of the first page of
your research paper, one inch from the top of the page and flush with the left margin. Your heading should
include the following information (on separate lines and double-spaced):
your name,
your instructor’s name,
the course name/number, and
the date.
Double-space again and center the title of your paper. Do not underline your title, put it in quotation marks,
or type it in all capital letters. Underline only those words you would underline in the text of your paper,
e.g. the title of a book. Double-space also between the lines of the title as well as between the title and the
first line of the text.
MLA guidelines require that you cite quotations, summaries, paraphrases, and other material used from
sources within parentheses typically placed at the end of the sentence in which the quoted or paraphrased
material appears. The parenthetical method replaces the use of footnotes. These in-text parenthetical
citations correspond to the full bibliographic entries found in a list of works cited at the end of your paper.
Source material must be documented in the body of the paper by citing the author(s) of the source and page
number(s) on which the borrowed information can be found. Notice that the period at the end of the
sentence is placed after the parenthetical citation.
Examples:
The authors argue that a number of scientists found Einstein’s theory flawed (Smith and Jones 76).
If the last names of the authors appear in the sentence, then only the page number is required:
In their controversial article, Williams and Martinez claim the results of the university study were
inconclusive due to the “unscientific method of data collection” (121).
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For more than 3 authors, use the first author’s last name, followed by the abbreviation “et al.”:
(Hunter et al.)
If no author is available, use a short form of the title (the shortest form that will allow you to recognize the
work properly). For instance, if you were working with an anonymous article titled “Low-Income Parents
and Public Schools,” you might use the following:
If the source of the quotation is named in the main part of the sentence (e.g., “Former President Clinton
stated . . . ”) do not include it again in the parenthetical citation.
Note: Page numbers are not used when citing complete works, articles in works arranged alphabetically
(like encyclopedias), or nonprint sources such as films, recordings, etc.
Note: For a quotation from an electronic source such as an online article or web page, give the paragraph
or section number if no page number is available. You may use the abbreviations para. and sec.
When you include long quotations (more than four typed lines), you must use a colon after the formal
introduction, indent the quotation ten spaces from the left margin, omit the quotation marks, and place the
parenthetical page citation after the period. Like everything else in an MLA-style paper, the long quotation
is double-spaced.
Note: If the Ruler is not visible across the top of your document, go to View and select Ruler.
Your list of Works Cited begins on a separate page, after the last page of your paper.
All sources included in the Works Cited section must be cited in the body of the paper. As stated above,
your list of Works Cited begins on a separate page, after the last page of your paper. Type the heading
“Works Cited” centered on the first line of the page. The references (with hanging indent – see below)
begin on the line following the Works Cited heading. Double-space within and between reference sources.
Entries are organized by last names of first authors. Most Reference entries have three components:
1. Author(s): Multiple authors are listed in the same order as specified in the source, using last
names, first names, and middle initials (if given). Commas separate all authors. When there are
four or more authors, list the first one and then use “et al.” (Latin for “and others”) to represent the
remaining authors. If no author is identified, the title of the document begins the reference.
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2. Year of Publication: If no publication date is identified, use “n.d.”
3. Source Reference: For a journal article, this includes the article title, journal title, volume (and
sometimes issue) number, and page number(s); for a book, it includes the title, city of publication,
and publisher. In general, the source reference for web documents includes author and date (if
known) as well as title, date of retrieval, and URL (web address). Underline titles of journals,
books, and web sites.
IX. Visuals
MLA classifies visuals as tables and figures (figures include graphs, charts, maps, photographs, and
drawings). Visuals should be placed in the text, as close as possible to the sentences that relate to them.
A. Tables
Label each table with an Arabic numeral (Table 1, Table 2, and so on) and provide a clear caption that
identifies the subject. The label and caption should appear on separate lines above the table, flush left. For
instance:
Table 1
Child Poverty Rates
Below the table, give its source in a note like this one:
Source: Marian Wright Edelman, “Saving the Children: Taking a Stand,” Emerge June 1996: 58.
B. Figures
For each figure, place a label and a caption below the figure, flush left. The word "Figure" may be
abbreviated to "Fig." Include source information following the caption. For example:
Fig. 3. Map of World Religions, “Operation World.” Global Mapping International. 15 Nov.
2002. Global Mapping International. 14 Feb. 2003 <http://www.gmi.org/products/ow.htm>.
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Appendix: Examples of various reference sources:
Books
Note: The authors' names should be given as they are on the title page of the text, in the order they appear
(which will NOT always be alphabetical). If the names of editors appear on the title pages, then a comma
should come after the last name to appear in the entry and the abbreviation “eds.” should follow the
comma (“ed.” for a single editor). In the entry, the first author's name should be reversed, followed by a
comma, and then each additional author's name in its normal order. If MORE THAN three persons
authored the book, only the name (reversed) of the first author/editor should appear, followed by a comma
and "et al."
Basic form
Examples
Hull, Mary, ed. Censorship in America: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO,
2001.
Strunk, William, and E. B White. The Elements of Style. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1999.
Hunt, Thomas C., et al. Handbook of Research on Catholic Education. Westport, CT: Greenwood
Press, 2001.
Anderson, Jack. Art Without Boundaries: The World of Modern Dance. Iowa City: University of Iowa
Press, 1997.
---. Ballet and Modern Dance. Princeton, NJ: Princeton Book Co., 1986.
Walker, Alice. “Only Justice Can Stop a Curse.” Home Girls: A Black Feminist Anthology. Ed.
Barbara Smith. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2003.
Encyclopedia articles
1. Well known source
Basic form
Example
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2. Less familiar source
Basic form
Author(s), if known. “Article Title.” Encyclopedia Title. Editor(s). Number of volumes. City of
Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication.
Example
Horn, Maurice. “Flash Gordon.” The World Encyclopedia of Comics. Ed. Maurice Horn. 2 vols. New
York: Chelsea, 1976.
Periodicals
1. Article in a journal with continuous pagination (no issue number)
Basic Form
Author(s). “Article Title.” Periodical Title Volume number (Publication date): Pages.
Example
Troester, James D. “Working Through Family-Based Problem Behavior Through Activity Group
Therapy.” Clinical Social Work Journal 30 (2002): 419-428.
2. Article in a journal that paginates each issue separately (includes issue number)
Basic Form
Author(s). “Article Title.” Periodical Title Volume number.Issue number (Publication date): Pages.
Example
Lott, Bernice. “Low-Income Parents and Public Schools.” The Journal of Social Issues 57.2 (2001):
247-259.
Jenkins, Paul. “The Next Christianity.” The Atlantic Monthly Oct. 2002: 53-68.
Sloan, Arthur. “Will Corporate America Really Change? Don’t Count on It.” Newsweek 1 July 2002:
44-45.
Carter, David L. “Casino Has its Doubters.” [Rochester, NY] Democrat and Chronicle 27 Dec. 2002: B3.
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Nonprint Sources
1. A film or video recording
Jacob Lawrence: An Intimate Portrait. Prod. and Dir. Grover Babcock and Elvin Whitesides.
Videocassette. Museum Associates, 1993.
2. A sound recording
Electronic Sources
According to MLA, all references to electronic sources should include the same basic information provided
for a traditional print source. Information specific to the electronic version must also be included. Special
attention should be paid to reporting the date on which the information was retrieved from the electronic
database or Internet (because electronic information sources are more fluid than print sources and may
change from day to day).
Note about long URL’s (web addresses): When indicating a long URL that does not fit on a line, only
break the URL after a slash. Do not use a hyphen to indicate a break in the URL.
Baldwin, Kate. “Black Like Who? Cross-Testing the ‘Real’ Lines of John Howard Griffin’s Black
Like Me.” Cultural Critique 40 (1998): 103-43. MLA Bibliography. OCLC FirstSearch.
Marygrove Coll. Lib., Detroit, MI. 16 Dec. 2002. <http://firstsearch.oclc.org>.
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3. Article from a non-periodical database
Example
“Shange, Ntozake 1948-.” Contemporary Authors. Gale Literature Resource Center. Marygrove Coll.
Lib., Detroit, MI. 12 July 2002. <http://galenet.galegroup.com>.
Basic Form
Author(s) (if given). “Title of Material Accessed.” Date of material (if given). Title of Encyclopedia.
Publication information for print version of the source (if given). Date of electronic
publication, of the latest update, or of posting (if known). Date accessed <URL>.
Example
"Stock Market Crash of 1929." Britannica Online. Vers. 98.2. April 1998. Encyclopaedia Britannica.
20 August 1999 <http://www.eb.com:180/cgi-bin/g?DocF=micro/ 567/22.html>.
Basic form
Author(s) (if known). “Title of article or web page.” Name of web site. Date of publication, or of latest
update (if known). Sponsoring Institution or Organization. Date accessed <URL>.
Examples
Dickinson, Laurie. “Zora Neale Hurston.” Voices from the Gaps: Women Writers of Color. 1996.
Dept. of English, U of Minnesota. 15 Feb. 2003 <http://voices.cla.umn.edu/authors/
ZoraNealeHurston.html>.
“Talking with Kids About HIV and AIDS.” Talking with Kids About Tough Issues. n.d. Children
Now. 28 March 2003 <http://www.talkingwithkids.org/aids.html>.
Basic Form
Name of Web Site. Date of electronic publication, or of the latest update. Name of any institution or
organization sponsoring or associated with the web site. Date accessed <URL>.
Example
CAADWeb. 18 October 2003. Center for the Arts of the African Diaspora. 26 Dec. 2002
<http://www.caadweb.org/>.